Casseroles, Moneymaking schemes and Loofas
by SaidbhinLuch
Summary: Oh dear it's a Threads one-shot... Just a little team gathering at Sam's in the days after Daniels return. Humour and fluffiness abounds with a touch of melancholy... Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_**Unfortunately Stargate never has and never will be mine... Well that's if my plan for world domination falls through... haaaa...**_

* * *

Sam stood in her kitchen staring at the mountain of casseroles that had been given to her over the past couple of days. She leaned over one and poked it warily with a fork. She wasn't quite sure if it was the odd splodges within the dish that was unsettling or the green colour that reminded her of the Generals salsa experiment from last year.

'I never understood the connection between casseroles as funerals. I don't think I ever will.' A voice uttered from behind her. Sam turned round to see a rather bedraggled Cassie standing in the doorway to her kitchen with an 'acquired' air force bag slung over one shoulder.

'Me either. The last thing I want to do is eat any of this.' Sam agreed stepping forward and grabbing Cassie in a massive bear hug.

'I also wouldn't even go near that one, looks like something out of Jack's place.' Cassie stated as she looked over Sam's shoulder at the casserole Sam had been musing over.

'I take great offense to that statement Cassandra Frasier. My food is just fine.' Sam looked up to see the General leaning against her door frame.

'Yeah, if you'd like a bout of Salmonella.' Cassie retort turning to look at him. The General merely shrugged in response and handed Cassie her bag and indicated for her to go. As she left the room Cassie tossed her now dark brown hair over one shoulder and pulled a face at the General, who promptly pulled one back.

Sam smiled at their childish behaviour before opening the fridge and sighed at the other mountain of casseroles inside it. The General leaned in behind her and took a good look.

'Wow, people sure do love casseroles.' They both looked at each other for a moment before Sam reached in and grabbed several and handed them to him.

'Daniel, T! Get in here, we're gonna need a hand!' He called out of the kitchen as Sam got out plastic bags to chuck the casseroles into.

For the next twenty minutes the four of them scrapped out the concoctions and washed out the dishes. By the time Cassie came back the only evidence of the 'casserole swamp' as the General had christened it, was the array of dishes they had been delivered in shining on the counter.

'So Chinese?' Cassie asked holding the phone in one hand and leaning on the counter next to Daniel. As she hit speed dial 6 on the phone the Daniel and the General turned to stare at Sam, who placed her hands on her hip with a '_like you are any better'_ look on her face.

'Same old same old?' Cassie called from the living room.

The four of them called out their agreement, Daniel and Teal'c headed out with plates and cutlery. Sam reached up to get glasses and the General grabbed the beers and the diet soda.

'So how long do you think you have before Daniel corners you for a heartfelt conversation?' He asked as he shut the fridge with his back. Sam hummed slightly at him.

'I don't know, how long do you think_ you _have before he wonders you how worried you all should be about me?' She countered walking past him out the door and down the hallway.

Sam heard him hum in response and she smiled warmly.

'At most? End of dinner... Oh that's going to be a fun chat.' Sam turned round to push the door open with her back, grinning at the General who was shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

'Yeah, somehow I think my chat with him is going to be even worse. Especially when he finds out about-'Sam stopped as she turned into the living room. For reasons, seemingly unknown, Cassie had leaped on Daniels back trying to grab at something in his hand.

'Get off!'

'NO! Give it back Daniel!

'NOOO!'

'ARGH!'

Sam just looked from one to the other before shrugging and placing the glasses on the coffee table and placing coasters under each one. She happened to glance up at Teal'c, and she quickly did a double take. Was he seriously Kel'nor'reem'ing?

Well mediating now...

How did he manage that with the racket the struggling pair where making?

Sam looked back at the General over her shoulder to see him recording the scene on his phone. Hopeless at technology her ass. She shook her head whilst smiling at him. She got up and took some of the bottles off the General, as he was slightly preoccupied. As she placed them on the table Daniel stumbled over and knocked the table causing a couple of the glasses to wobble dangerously. Sam leaned forward and grabbed them and whistled loudly at the wrestling pair.

'Sit. Now. Both of you.' She ordered pointed Daniel to one chair and Cassie to the couch. Both of them gave her apologetic looks, but it didn't stop Cassie from grabbing whatever Daniel had in his hand before scurrying over to her seat.

'Thank you Daniel I am going to have made more money out of you this week then I ever had over the past 6 years!' The General cheered as he placed the last few bottles on the table before sitting next to Cassie. Daniel glared at the General as he reached forward and snatched a bottle for himself.

'What else did Daniel do this week?' Cassie asked looking rather baffled as Sam started giggling at the increasing redness to Daniels face.

'Well you know Daniel pulled his disappearing trick again right? Well his reappearing trick did have a few issues...' The General started, sitting down, turning off his phone and grinning manically at Daniel. Cassie looked from one to the other looking increasingly confused. Cassie turned accusingly towards Sam as the General was so amused he was laughing silently.

'Sam what happened?'

'Well Daniel forgot a few items in his return. In fact he forgot all of the ones he left with.' Sam continued to laugh as she sat down next to Cassie with Daniel glaring at her. At which point Cassie had grown impatient so she elbowed Sam, and judging by the Generals grunt, she wasn't the only victim of her well aimed jolt.

'He appeared in my office, buck naked.' Cassie stopped and stared at the General.

A moments silence passed over the room as Sam and the General still shook shake with silent laughter, Teal'c continued to mediate and Daniel sunk back in his chair clearly wishing that the Earth would swallow him whole.

'_Seriously?' _

'Cass, _I'm_ the one who was subjected to that. I would not kid about it. The image is forever burned into my retinas.' The General stated, shuddering at the last part.

'You have GOT to get me pictures! I can get exxxxxcellent money for those!' Cass looked towards the General and then to Sam and back again. Daniel groaned and turned bright red. Cassie looked at him with a decidedly evil look on her face drumming her fingers together.

'Ask her why she didn't want me picking up her phone!' He looked at Cassie in a smug manner as all colour drained from her face. The General arched his eyebrow at Cassie as she tried to avoid the stares of the three men in the room, by fiddling with her phone.

'New boyfriend?' Sam asked mischievously as she got up to get the food. Now she had the pleasure of viewing the colour drain from the Generals face. Teal'c's face twitched in a manner Sam hadn't observed before.

Uh oh.

Maybe she shouldn't have said anything.

* * *

Sam rubbed her eyes wearily as she packed the cutlery into the dishwasher. She leaned against the counter sighing and closing her eyes. Daniel and Teal'c had just left and Cassie had crashed about half an hour before.

'Carter, you head to bed, I'll finish up here. Go on.' The General walked into the kitchen and placed a hand on her shoulder. Sam just shook her head at him.

'Not yet, every time I try to sleep my mind just races. No rest in that.'

'Then go and sit down and I'll tackle this.' Sam arched her eyebrow before sitting up on the counter.

The General stared at her before shaking his head and clearing everything away.

'So how's the rest of your family?' He asked whilst packing things away into the fridge.

'Well the kids are okay and Laura's doing her best but Mark...' Sam looked down at her legs swinging them slightly. She took in a deep breath and gripped the countertop tightly.

'Mark is trying to understand why he didn't get to say goodbye and how it happened so quickly. He's also not too pleased with me at the moment.' Sam felt her shoulders shake and watched as her knuckles turn white. She started as the General sat up on the counter next to her and gently placed a hand on top of hers.

'It's just hard dealing with everything, I feel like I can't breathe sometimes.'

'You need a break Carter. I know that doesn't come easily to you, but I think we all need one. We're all going to miss Dad. He was great man and a great friend.' Sam turned her head and looked at the General and smiled softly at his warm expression.

'A break sounds good, and thank you, he thought the same of you.' Sam nudged her shoulder against his. Jack smiled brightly at her and threaded his fingers through hers.

The pair sat there in peace for a spell. Sam blinked when she felt Jack rub her ring finger and saw him look down in confusion.

'It's gone.' Sam whispered, reluctant to break the peace that had settled in the room around them.

'Ah.' Luckily for Sam, Jack clearly didn't feel the need to elaborate further. The calm settled over the room once again.

Sam took in another deep breath as they sat in the stillness of the now dimly lit kitchen.

'So you're actually willing to take a break from all the madness around here?' He asked in the same hushed tone as she had earlier, apparently as unwilling to break peace as she was.

'It's about time I did.' Sam nodded looking down at their entwined hands.

'Can you remember the last time you did?' He asked her in a joking manner nudging her shoulder.

'Can you? And being in a stasis pod for four months doesn't count!' Sam retorted nudging him back. Jack chuckled lightly before turning to look at her.

'So what are you going to do for this break?' Clearly he had acknowledged that they were equally as bad for relaxing.

'No idea. Suggestions?' She asked arching an eyebrow at him, as she looked at him he looked into the middle distance thinking deeply. He even went so far as to stroke his chin to aide his musings.

'Well, first things first. You must be away from technology and all forms of doohickies and technobabbling. Secondly, I think it should be a team thing, T is going to be leaving soon and Daniel... Well we both know that the Daedalus is nearly ready so he'll be leaping on that ride soon enough. So...' He trailed off looking at her hopefully.

'Land of sky blue waters? Loofas? Home of the loon?' He asked smiling widely at her. Sam giggled as she remembered the first time they had this conversation.

'Ya sure ya betcha' snookums!' Sam finished before laughing loudly and then trying to stop herself as she remembered that Cassie was asleep down the hall.

'You are probably the first Lt. Colonel to ever call a General 'snookums' you know that?' He looked at here, eyes glittering in amusement and pride.

'I'm probably the only one who could get away with it!' Sam replied throwing back her shoulders slightly, grinning at him.

'The only one with the nerve perhaps? Besides whadda say? Bring the boys and Cass do absolutely nothing but fish?' He nudged her shoulder again and she smiled broadly at him.

'Yes.' No hesitation, no hedging.

Just yes.

'Sweet.'

* * *

**_Oh god a Threads one-shot... I feel terrible about it, it's been done so often and sooo well but this was the only story I could actually finish at the moment... I have about five other stories that refuse to be completed..._**

**_So sorry about this, but I hope it's a little bit different to others you may have seen!  
_**

**_Please read and review, be as honest as you like!  
_**

**_Once again, apologies for the lack of imagination... eeep  
_**


	2. Peace at the cabin

'What on Earth possessed you to say yes to this Sam?' Daniel all but wailed at Sam as they lugged bags out of the two trucks and walked up to the cabin.

'You're only complaining because you took that stupid bet.' Sam arched an eyebrow at him as she looked around her.

'It wasn't stupid!' Sam sighed rolling her eyes while her shoulders drooped.

'You have bet against the General that you wouldn't drink coffee for the two weeks we're here. In Minnesota.' Sam turned to look at Daniel and looked him up and down.

'I have one word for you Daniel. Dummmmmmmmmbo!' She continued laughing as she walked ahead of Daniel.

She stopped as she turned the corner of the cabin.

Wow.

The General was not kidding about how beautiful this place was, heck he was understating it.

Sam stepped up onto the deck dropping her bag and looked out at the glimmering lake. She heard Daniel grumble behind her, she glanced back to see him stomp inside the cabin carrying her bag as well as his own.

She raised a hand to her mouth and tried suppress a giggle Daniel was losing that bet today.

She would bet her bike on it.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

'Now there's a happy camper!' She turned and smiled as she saw the General striding over to her.

'Unlike the other caffeine deprived camper, who's currently storming through the cabin.' Sam started giggling now as a not so muffled foreign string of curses flowed out of the open door.

'Tut tut, that boy, where on Earth did I go wrong with him?' The General jokingly placed his hands on his hips whilst shaking his head and smiling at Sam.

She smiled brightly in return and stared out at the lake once again, taking in the surrounding woods and peaceful atmosphere.

'I see why you kept trying to bring me here.' She uttered looking up at the General who was looking out at the lake with a serene smile stretched over his face.

'Yup, only took me... what four, five years?'

'I'm a very stubborn person, as you full well know.'

'SON OF A BIT-' Both Sam and the General turned around to see Daniel fall out of the door. They both dropped their heads down as he hit the deck. Sam tilted her head at him, feeling completely baffled by his odd behaviour.

Daniel blinked up at the pair of them through crooked glasses.

'Alright their Danny boy?' The General asked smirking so much it could be heard in his voice.

Daniel rolled over and got up, all the time grumbling under his breath in what Sam was sure was Goa'uld.

Sam shook her head at him and walked inside the cabin.

* * *

'You think we'll survive this?'

'I'm not sure.'

'I think it would be wise if you ceased this conversation.' Sam walked in from the kitchen and stood with her hands placed on her hips. Both Daniel and the General looked up at Sam with guilty expressions. The men were sitting at the dining table with a cake sitting in between them, clearly suspicious of it.

'I'll have you both know that I _can_ cook and Dad gave me that recipe.' She huffed crossing her arms across her chest and scowling at both of them. The pair looked at Sam, then at the cake and then round at Teal'c who had just made a very satisfied noise eating a rather large slice of her cake.

The General narrowed his eyes at Teal'c and looked shiftily at Sam before sighing and grabbing a slice of the chocolate cake. Sam leaned against the doorframe and smiled smugly as both Daniel and the General looked round at her in shock.

'Sham... will youh marhry me?' She shook her head at Daniel who was staring up at her with wide pleading eyes speaking around a mouth full of cake.

'I will never insult your cooking again... Though I may want to check another slice... Just to make sure.' The General half mumbled staring at the cake in almost reverence before polishing off the first slice and helping himself to almost half of the rest of the cake.

'Thank you, I think... and if there is one thing I've learned... Never accept a proposal over baked goods. Tends to cloud ones' judgement.' Sam shook her head again at both of them who were practically drooling all over the table. She turned back into the kitchen and started to tidy up all the bowls and cutlery she had used in her baking during the day.

Sam started humming to herself as she cleaned everything away as she felt someone approach from behind. She turned slightly, as she placed a bowl on the draining board and looked up at Teal'c. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Without speaking a word he pulled her into a hug and Sam, incapable of doing anything else just clung to the strong man holding her. She didn't cry, they just stood, but it didn't matter. He was there as she pulled away she saw that they were all there.

Despite the fact that they were all there, Sam found herself later that night plagued with the same insomnia that had struck her when her mother died, when Daniel died, that one had be a cause several times and when Janet died last year.

* * *

Sam pulled on an old air force jumper, and padded out onto the deck. She sat down and leaned back bracing herself on her arms stretched out behind her as she stared into the sky.

As she stared upwards into the glittering landscape above her she mused that this must have been another reason why Jack came out here so often. Unlike the sky back in the Springs this was full of stars, shining and sparkling down at her. She was instantly five again, sneaking out of the house and looking up in wonderment. Every so often her Dad come out with a blanket and hot chocolate and they'd stare into the sky until she fell asleep in his arms.

She closed her eyes and once again felt tears flow down her cheeks. Sam sat up and angrily scrubbed at her face.

'Sam? What are you doin' out here?' Sam turned round to look at the door to the cabin to see a figure move out towards her on the deck.

As they moved forward she realised it was Jack coming out to her. She should've known she mused as she smiled tiredly up at him.

'What are you doing up?' She asked as he slowly bent down and sat down, legs outstretched.

'I thought I heard something, and it turns out I was right. Now why are you out here? Wait a sec; I'm going to grab a blanket it's freezing out here.' As Jack got up and headed inside Sam pulled up one leg and rested her chin on it looking out at the still lake but not really seeing it.

She started slightly as she felt a weight drop on her shoulders but relaxed instantly as she felt Jack plonk himself down next to her. Sam pulled the blanket tighter around her as she stared back up into the sky.

They both sat on the deck for an indeterminate amount of time gazing up into the sky.

'Where's Abydos?' Sam blinked and looked round at Jack who was still gazing upwards a rather melancholic look gracing his features. She smiled sadly before looking and pointing up at its location.

'There. I still can't believe it's gone.'

'Yeah, I always think of Skar'ra and wonder how he's doing _out there._' He gestured vaguely at the phrase 'out there'.

Sam leaned over slightly and rested her head on Jacks shoulder.

'Before you came out I was thinking about Dad... I remember when I was little sneaking outside and staring up at the sky and every so often he'd come out with a blanket and hot chocolate for both of it. We'd stay there until I fell asleep. Mum usually had a fit in the morning over it.' Sam smiled softly at the memories of her parents.

Jack placed his arm around Sam's shoulders and rubbed her arm gently.

'I used to do the same with Charlie when I was home, he'd loved the stars and being here was his favourite place in the world. All the stars of the galaxy practically at his fingertips.'

With that they sat there for the rest of the night stargazing and then watched the sun rise slowly the peaceful quiet.

'Have you two been out here the whole night?' Daniels voice broke through the calm that had settled over the pair in such a spectacular fashion that Sam nearly fell off the dock. Save for Jack grabbing her waist right before she went over the edge.

'Daniel a little warning in future alright?' Sam exclaimed holding a hand to her chest, blanket sliding off her shoulders and falling onto the dock.

'Sorry guys, I just wasn't expecting to see you out here... Breakfast? Teal'c making pancakes I think.' Daniel help both hands in a surrendering gesture before turning and walking back inside. Sam shook head and him before turning back to Jack who was standing at the dock watching her.

'Always has a fantastic knack at ruining a moment doesn't he?' He mused, picking up the blanket and walking towards her.

'Yes, it's one of his more unfortunate talents, but at least you saved me from falling into the lake.'

'I always wanted to save a fair maiden! Always thought it'd be from a dragon though...' Jack smiled as he reached her, his eyebrow twitched as he smirked mischievously at her.

'Would thou'st like-eth a hand, oh fair maiden?' He jokingly asked as he bowed looking up at her and extended a hand towards her.

Sam giggled as she grasped his hand.

'I would be honoured, oh valiant knight!'

As they stepped inside Sam smiled at the sight of Jack stepping forward to help Daniel to set the table as Teal'c approached with a tower of pancakes.

She may have lost her father, but she was far from alone, these men wouldn't ever allow it. Jack pulled out a chair for her, indicating that she should sit.

All things aside, didn't all girls want to find their valiant knight?

* * *

**_Oh how sap-tastic was this little piece... I hope you all enjoyed it's pure cheesiness! _**

_**As always read and review! Pleeeeeeeeeease!  
**_


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